Stiffening device for a collapsible receptacle



Jall- 1966 GILBERTE FOUINETEAU, BORN BILLION 3,229,843 4 STIFFENING DEVICE FOR A COLLAPSIBLE RECEPTAGLE Filed Oct. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 1611- 1966 GILBERTE FOUlNETEAU, BORN BILLION 3,229,843

CE FOR A GOLLAPSIBLE RECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,229,843 STIFFENING DEVICE FOR A COLLAPSIBLE RECEPTACLE Gilberte Fouineteau, born Billion, Gray, France, assignor to Etablissements A. Fouinetean Societe Anonyme, Gray, France Filed Oct. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 316,304 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 24, 1963, E 24,229 3 Claims. (Cl. 2206) Collapsible baskets are already known in which the walls are made of metallic netting formed by corrugated metal wires, the corrugations of which are intertwined from one wire to the next. In the side wall, the corrugated metal wires are arranged parallel to each other between two rigid wire frames which are respectively intertwined with the two end corrugated wires. The side wall is sufficiently conical to be able to be folded back on itself by bringing together the corrugated wires which become juxtaposed between the two end frames in the same plane. When one of said frames is lifted, the side wall opens out by gravity if it is free to hang; on the other hand, it collapses on the base frame when the basket is placed on its bottom.

For this reason, stiffening means are generally provided for this side wall when opened out, comprising rigid rods which are articulated on one of the frames and which can be hooked on to the opposite frame after the side wall has been opened out. The operation of hooking these stiffening rods is not very convenient, since it is necessary for the wall to be under tension after the stiffening rods have been hooked-on, so that it is necessary to pass beyond this tension point in order to hook the rods.

The present invention has for its object a stiffening device for a collapsible basket of metallic netting of the type referred to, which can be utilized in a much more simple manner.

According to the invention, the stiffening device is constituted by a folding lever having two rigid arms, the ends of which are pivotally attached to the end frames of the wall of metallic netting to be stiffened, and the opened-out length of which is slightly greater than that of the said wall in the stretched condition.

The folding of the .wall of metallic netting is accompanied by a folding action of the lever; conversely, the lever opens-out when the end frames of this wall of metallic netting are moved further apart. When the lever forms an angle in the vicinity of a fiat angle, a thrust applied to the articulation of the lever in the direction of the wall of metallic netting puts'the latter under tension until the lever forms a straight line; beyond this position, the tension of the netting diminishes but tends to fold the lever in the opposite direction; the articulation of the lever becomes supported against the still taut netting and becomes stabilized in this position while stiffening the wall.

The stiffening opera-tion of a basket by means of a stiffening device of this kind is much easier than with stiffening rods to be hooked on after the wall has been put under tension, since it is the action applied on the folding lever which puts the wall under tension. In order to collapse the wall, it is only necessary to move the articulation of the folding lever of the wall so as to pass through the maximum position of tension of this wall and thereby to permit the lever to fold towards the interior while the wall collapses on itself.

A number of folding levers may be provided along the periphery of the wall of metallic netting to be stiffened, and the profile of their arms may be adapted to the profile which this Wall should have when it is stiff under tension.

According to one preferred form of construction, each folding lever is composed of two oppositely disposed stirrups, the cross-members of which are coupled to each other so as to be able to rotate one with respect to the other, and the arms of which are respectively articulated on the end frames of the wall of metallic netting. The articulation of the two stirrups is preferably formed by simply rolling a wire around the two adjacent cross-members of these two stirrups. The arms are articulated to the frames by rolling their ends around the frame wire.

The invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a collapsible basket according to the invention, intended to serve as a salad basket.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the basket collapsed flat on its base;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the basket opened-out and stiffened by stiffening devices according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views in elevation of a portion of the basket comprising the stiffening device, the first showing said device under tension and the second said device slackened and ready to fold when the basket collapses.

The basket comprises two circular end frames of heavy metal wire; the lower frame 1 for the bottom of the basket has a smaller diameter than the upper frame 2. The bottom 3 and the side wall 4 are made-up of metal netting formed by equal rows of corrugated wire, the corrugations of which are intertwined from one wire to the following. For the bottom, these corrugated wires 5 have a circular and concentric arrangement, the outermost Wire having the most open corrugations, intertwining with the frame wire 1, while the innermost wire 5b, having the closest corrugations is intertwined with a central ring 5c. The side wall similarly comprises a certain number of equal rows of corrugated wires 6 which are intertwined, the end wires 6:: and 6b being interlaced with the end frame wires 1 and 2.

In the example shown, the basket is completed by two handles of thick metal wire 7, articulated at opposite points on the upper frame 2. In addition, a collar which folds inwards is formed by a series of thick wires 8 having the shape of hairpins, the arms of which are articulated on the upper end frame 2 and cross each other from one hairpin to the next. The constituent parts of a basket of this kind are well known.

This basket can be folded flat by collapsing the side wall and folding the handles 7 and the collar 8 towards the interior (FIG. 1). The upper end frame 2 takes up a position concentric with the lower end frame 1 and the corrugated wires 4 of the side wall are juxtaposed in the zone comprised between these two frames.

In accordance with the invention, the basket further comprises two diametrically opposite stiffening devices which are intended to keep the basket rigid when it is opened out. Each of these stiffening devices is formed by two stirrups 9 and 10 of thick wire, having trapezoidal outlines with bases substantially equal from one stirrup to another, but with unequal arms. The stirrup 9, the arms 9a of which are the shortest, is articulated by loops at the end of these arms to the end frame 1 of smaller diameter, while the stirrup 10 which has the longest arms 10a, is articulated by these arms in the same manner to the larger diameter end frame 2. The cross-members 9b and 10b of the two stirrups are coupled to each other in such manner as to be able to rotate with respect to each other by means of a winding 11 of wire around these adjacent cross-members. The assembly of the two stirrups forms a folding lever of which the winding 11 constitutes the articulation.

The two stirrups have dimensions such that, when the basket is folded flat (FIG. 1), the stirrup 10 encloses the stirrup 9, the difference in length of the arms 10a and 9a corresponding susbtantially to the difference between the radii of the two end frames 2 and 1. The sum of the lengths of the arms 9:: and 10a exceeds the length of the wall 4 when extended, by a value which will be defined below.

When the upper end frame 2 is raised so as to move it away from the lower end frame 1, the side wall of the basket is opened out by progressive separation of the corrugated wires 4, until the crests of the corrugations of each corrugated wire come into contact with the crests of the corrugated wires located on each side thereof when the wall is fully extended; the movement can then be continued somewhat within the limits of elastic deformation of the corrugated wires, the wall of netting being then under tension (FIG. 3).

During the upward movement of the end frame 2, the folding lever 910 opens by rotation of the stirrups about their cross-members comprised in the articulation 11, the arms 9a and 10a of these stirrups forming on each side a constant obtuse angle, and the stirrup reaches the position shown in FIG. 4. If the articulation 11 is then pushed towards the netting wall, the opening angle of the folding lever increases, which puts the netting wall under tension; this tension is a maximum when the two stirrups form a flat angle between them; beyond this point, the tensile stress of this wall tends to fold the lever in the opposite direction, 'but the articulation 11 is soon stopped by abutting against the netting wall 4 (FIG. 3), that stabilizes the lever in a position at which the netting wall still remain under tension. The basket is then rigid.

Correct operation of the device assumes that the total length of the arms 9a and 10a of the two stirrups is such that, in the position at which the stirrups form a flat angle between them, the third side of the triangle that each of these stirrups forms is greater than the length of the netting wall when extended but not stretched, and less than the length that this wall may have in the condition of its greatest tension. In the stiffening position shown in FIG. 3, the length of this third side must still be slightly greater than the length of the netting wall at the moment when it is put under tension.

In order to collapse the basket, it is only necessary to bring the articulations 11 of the two opposite folding levers closer towards each other so as to cause them to move inwards through the position at which they form a flat angle; the tension of the wall then tends to fold them inwards, after which their folding accompanies the collapse of the netting wall to the flat folded position shown in FIG. 1.

It is clear that the stiffening device which has just been described can be used on netting baskets in which the side wall can have a slightly curved generating line; in fact, the arms of the folding lever can be curved in the same manner. In this case particularly, it is possible to employ a number of folding levers distributed along the periphery at uniform spacings. The device is not only applicable to baskets of any shape, but to any receptacle of netting, such as lobster pots and other fishing receptacles.

It will of course be understood that the folding levers are not necessarily formed by two stirrups with hinge articulation as in the stiffening device described, and that any other form of construction may be adopted.

I claim:

1. A collapsible basket comprising a circular lower frame, means forming a bottom wall within said lower frame, a circular upper frame, with the diameter of the upper frame greater than the diameter of the lower frame, netting extending between said lower frame and said upper frame and forming a collapsible side wall, said netting being stretchable between a normal extended position and a fully extended position, and two articulated stiffening elements adapted to maintain said upper frame and said lower frame in separated relation and peripheral- 1y disposed interiorly of said side wall diametrically opposite each other, each such stiffening element being comprised of an upper stirrup member having its arms pivotally joined at their outer ends to said upper frame, a lower stirrup member having its arms pivotally joined at their outer ends to said lower frame, and means pivotally joining the inner portion of said upper stirrup member to the inner portion of said lower stirrup member, with the arms of each upper stirrup member longer than the arms of the associated lower stirrup member, the difference in the lengths of said respective arms being substantially the same as the difference in the radii of said respective frames, the overall length of said upper stirrup member and said lower stirrup member in their aligned position being greater than the height of said side wall in its normal extended position, and said means so joining said two stirrup members to each other that such stiffening element is movable from an inwardly collapsed position through said aligned position to an outwardly partially collapsed position in contact with said extended side wall.

2. A collapsible walled basket capable of being stiffened by articulated elements braced against the walls of said basket comprising a rigid annular lower frame, means forming a bottom wall within said lower frame, a rigid annular upper frame, netting extending between said lower frame and said upper frame and forming a collapsible annular side wall, said netting being elastically stretchable in a heightwise direction between a normal extended position and a fully extended position,and at least two articulated stiffening elements adapted to maintain said upper frame and said lower frame in separated relation and peripherally disposed interiorly of said side wall, each such stiffening element being comprised of an upper member and a lower member pivotally joined to each other at their inner ends and respectively pivotally joined to said upper frame and to said lower frame at their outer ends, the overall length of said two members i in their aligned position being greater than the height of said side wall in its normal extended position, and said two members being so joined to each other that said mem-.

bers are freely pivotal in both directions from said aligned position so that said stiffening element is movable from an inwardly collapsed position through said aligned position to an outwardly partially collapsed position in engagement with and braced against said extended side wall, further outward pivotal movement of said stiffening elements being resisted only by said engagement with said side wall and movement of said stiffening elements inwardly from said outwardly partially collapsed position to said aligned position being elastically resisted by said side wall, whereby said stiffening elements are stably retained in said outwardly partially collapsed position.

3. A collapsible walled basket capable of being stiff ened by articulated elements braced against the walls of said basket comprising a circular lower frame, means forming a bottom wall within said lower frame, an upper circular frame, netting extending between said lower frame and said upper frame and forming a collapsible side wall, said netting being elastically stretchable in a heightwise direction between a normal extended position and a fully extended position, and two articulated stiffening elements adapted to maintain said, upper frame and said lower frame in separated relation and peripherally disposed interiorly of said side wall diametrically oppo-.

site each other, each such stiffening element being comprised of an upper stirrup member having its arms pivotally joined at their outer ends to said upper frame, a lower;

stirrup member having its arms pivotally joined at their outer ends to said lower frame, and means pivotally joinmg the inner portion of said upper stirrup member to i the mner portion of said lower stirrup member, the overi all length of said two members in their aligned position being greater than the height of said side wall in its normal extended position, and said means so joining said two stirrup members to each other that said members are free-.

1y pivotal in both directions from said aligned position so that said stifiening element is movable from an inwardly collapsed position through said aligned position to an outwardly partially collapsed position in engagement with said extended side Wall and braced against said extended side wall, further outward pivotal movement of said stitfening elements being resisted only by said engagement with said side wall and movement of said stifiening elements inwardly from said outwardly partially collapsed position to said aligned position being elastically resisted by said side wall, whereby said stiffening elements are stably retained in said outwardly partially collapsed position. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,548,966 4/1951 Gilmore 22019 2,942,750 6/1960 Neely 22019 3,144,159 8/ 1964 Varkala 220-19 FOREIGN PATENTS 932,019 3/ 1948 France. 773,855 5/1957 Great Britain. 605,064 5/1960 Italy.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BASKET COMPRISING A CIRCULAR LOWER FRAME, MEANS FORMING A BOTTOM WALL WITHIN SAID LOWER FRAME, A CIRCULAR UPPER FRAME, WITH THE DIAMETER OF THE UPPER FRAME GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE LOWER FRAME, NETTING EXTENDING BETWEN SAID LOWER FRAME AND SAID UPPER FRAME AND FORMING A COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALL, SAID NETTING BEING STRETCHABLE BETWEEN A NORMAL EXTENDED POSITION AND A FULLY EXTENDED POSITION, AND TWO ARTICULATED STIFFENING ELEMENTS ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN SAID UPPER FRAME AND SAID LOWER FRAME IN SEPARATED RELATION AND PERIPHERALLY DISPOSED INTERIORLY OF SAID SIDE WALL DIAMETRICALLLY OPPOSITE EACH OTHER, EACH SUCH STIFFENING ELEMENT BEING COMPRISED OF AN UPPER STIRRUP MEMBER HAVING ITS ARMS PIVOTALLY JOINED AT THEIR OUTER ENDS TO SAID UPPER FRAME, A LOWER STIRRUP MEMBER HAVING ITS ARMS PIVOTALLY JOINED AT THEIR OUTER ENDS TO SAID LOWER FRAME, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY JOINING THE INNER PORTION OF SAID UPPER STIRRUP MEMBER TO THE INNER PORTION OF SAID LOWER STIRRUP MEMBER, WITH THE ARMS OF EACH UPPER STIRRUP MEMBER LONGER THAN THE ARMS OF THE ASSOCIATED LOWER STIRRUP MEMBER, THE DIF- 